Simple test predicts diabetes remission following weight loss surgery

A new simple test that helps predicts which people with type 2 diabetes will benefit most from weight loss surgery has been developed by a UCL-led team. The study, published today in Diabetic Medicine , also reports that keeping the weight off after bariatric surgery is more important than which type of weight loss operation was done. Taken together, the findings should help maximise the health benefits obtained from weight loss surgery. "Over 2 million people in the UK are eligible for assessment for bariatric surgery, and yet only 6,000 undergo the procedure each year. Given the limited access to surgery it's vital that we ensure it's offered to those who will benefit the most, and that they're well supported long after the surgery," said the study's lead author, Professor Rachel Batterham (UCL Centre for Obesity Research and UCLH Bariatric Centre for Weight Management and Metabolic Surgery). Type 2 diabetes (T2D) is currently estimated to cause close to 25,000 preventable deaths a year in the UK, and the main driver for its increased prevalence is rising obesity rates. Sustained weight loss improves blood glucose control in people with established T2D; however, maintaining sustained weight loss is difficult due to biological compensatory mechanisms.